Trunk



(No Model.)

W. H. BELL, Sr. Trunks.

No. 228,858. Patented sune s; 1880.

Fig; 2.

HUHIHMI l WM W III/I/II/ uhilii h" Will we; M [17 2/192? Zbr [WM-flak NJ EIERS, PKOYO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON o c UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 228,858, dated June 15, 1880. Application filed April 9, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BELL, Sr., of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of lVIaryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trunks and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact'description of the same.

My invention relates to trunks; and its object is to provide a trunk having a movable tray capable of being elevated above the trunk proper, in order to facilitate the packin g or unpacking of the trunk without entirely 1 disconnecting the tray.

My invention consists in the combination, in a trunk, of a tray supported on hinged rods, and provided with hooks, and of hooks on the lid, all as hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereunto attached, Figure 1 represents an end view of the entire device, the tray being shown as elevated; Fig. 2, a view of the opposite end, with the tray in position and the lid closed; Fig. 3, a separate view of the end of the tray; Fig. 4, a detail View, showing the hook-connection; Fig. 5, a view of a modification; Fig. 6, aview of the hooked plate, and Fig. 7 a view of a modification.

A represents the main portion of the trunk, constructed in the usual manner and provided with cleats a, for supporting the tray, and having a hinged cover, B, all these parts bein g of the ordinary construction.

To the inside of the trunk and above the cleat is pivoted one end of a rod, 0, the other end being attached to the outer end of the tray E, as shown in Fig. 1. The rod may be directly attached to such tray or to a narrow strip or cleat secured to the bottomthereof, the latter construction being preferred, and illustrated in the drawings.

The rod 0 is of proper length to fit easily in the width of the trunk when the tray is in position. The hook or catch F is rigidly attached to each end of the tray in a horizontal position, and when such tray is elevated by means of the rod 0 the hook engages with one of the notches or serrations in the plate G, which is rigidly attached to the inner side of the cover B, as shown in Figs. 1 and By this means the tray, when raised, may be retained in such elevated position, and the contents of the trunk itself can be examined, taken out, or replaced without the-necessity of entirely lifting the tray from the trunk.

-Since the object. of my invention is simply to provide means for easily and conveniently holding the tray of the trunk in an elevated position, it is evident that modifications of the form described could be used without departing from the general principle of my invention. Such a modification is illustrated in Fig. 7, where, instead of the serrated plate attached tothe oover,.is shown a flat plate provided with studs or pins to engage with the hook on the tray.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated another modification, by the use of which the cleats on the bottom of the tray are dispensed with. In this construction a long bar having a hook on the end is attached to the bottom of the tray,

the outer end being pivoted to the side bar and the hook adapted to engage with the serrated plate, as before described.

It is evident, also, that the hooks can be placed upon the lid or cover of the trunk, and the serrated plate or its equivalent upon the tray.

When the lid of the trunk contains apartments for packing, the catches, instead of being placed inside of such lid, can be attached outside and near the upper edge. By this means the tray is elevated to a greater extent-- than in the construction before described.

Under these circumstances the catch might also be formed in the metal binding around the bottom of the lid, and the hook on the tray adaptedto engage therewith in the manner before described, the side bar in all cases being pivoted to the outer end of the tray.

I am aware that trunks have been constructed having trays adapted to be elevated and supported above the trunk in. various ways, and I do not broadly claim such a tray; but,

I claim isy 1. The combination, with the trunk A, of

Having thus described my invention, What the tray E, hinged rod 0, adapted to support said tray, and of the hooks fixed upon the rear of the tray, adapted to connect with catches on the cover substantially as described.

2. The combination of the tray E, hinged rod 0, hooks F, and notched plate Gr, said plate being fixed upon the cover, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two IO subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BELL, SR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT S. ROWE, M. D., G. N. ATWOOD. 

